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Putagán (in mapudungun: "water stream") is a village in the Chilean municipality of Villa Alegre, Province of Linares, Maule Region. Pop. 622. Altitude (meters) 112. Time zone (est) UTC−4(-3DT). Located 292 Kilometers (182 miles) south from Santiago. Bases its economy on agricultural activities like vineyards, rice, corn plantations and lately some kind of berries for the European markets.
Map of Putag%C3%A1n, Villa Alegre, Maule Region, Chile
Putagán is one of the oldest Spanish settlements in the current Maule Region. Around 1580, the Bishop of Santiago de Chile at the time, Fray Diego de Medellín, created two missions south of the Maule river that remained under the jurisdiction of the Santiago bishops for more than 170 years. The missions were Cauquenes and Putagán. The parish of Putagán was transferred to Linares, after the latter's foundation and is now the main parish of Linares Diocese, "El Sagrario", based on the Cathedral church of the diocese.
From 1913 to 1954 Putágan was the starting point of the narrow gauge Putagán—Colbún railway terminating in the city of Colbún.
The Putagán River passes south of the village and forms the border of the municipalities of Villa Alegre and Linares.